Species Conservation in a Shifting Global Context

Threatened species are further jeopardized by shifts in political boundaries, warns Harvard Forest senior ecologist Aaron Ellison in a new Worldview column in the top journal Nature. "Only laws and statutes protect biodiversity," he writes, "and these differ on either side of nearly every border." Citing examples of endangered bears, butterflies, and birds in politically fluctuating regions like Crimea, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in the world, Ellison calls for foresight in creating conservation areas that protect species and habitat across national boundaries, particularly in this time of rapid environmental change.

• Read the Nature column, "Political borders should not hamper wildlife"
• Learn more about biodiversity studies at Harvard Forest.

(Photo by Joshua Rapp)